ASPL User Guide v 1.00
© 2025 Bassem W. Jamaleddine
aspl [-help] [-version] [-vversion|-vv] [-wsdir repos] [-wsname workspace] [-groupingclass namedelemgroupclass] [-verbose] [-bridgeless] [-dbgsess] [-STDIN] [-showonly] [-verb verb] [-asplconf FILENAME] [-ddmconf FILENAME] [-timeout NUMBEROFSEC] [-script asplscript] [-SCT] [-singlepass] [-nostrictld] [-globalvar] [-persistvar] [-syncwks] [-assignonce] [-disablearcvar] [-tattler] [-noansi] [-nocheck] [-noreloadGG] [-logfile filename] [-dm displaymode] [-dv 32bits] [-gB 8bits] [-kH] [-kC] [-jH [-jC]] [-jE] [-jV] [-jF] [-jL] [-jG] [-jZ]
ASPL (1.00)
aspl [-help] [-version] [-vversion|-vv]
[-wsdir repos] [-wsname workspace] [-groupingclass namedelemgroupclass] [-verbose] [-bridgeless]
[-dbgsess] [-STDIN] [-showonly] [-verb verb] [-asplconf FILENAME] [-ddmconf FILENAME] [-timeout NUMBEROFSEC]
[-script asplscript] [-SCT] [-singlepass] [-nostrictld]
[-globalvar] [-persistvar] [-syncwks] [-assignonce] [-disablearcvar] [-tattler]
[-noansi] [-nocheck] [-noreloadGG] [-logfile filename]
[-dm displaymode]
[-dv 32bits] [-gB 8bits] [-kH] [-kC] [-jH [-jC]] [-jE] [-jV] [-jF] [-jL] [-jG] [-jZ]
Where:
-help display this summary
-version display the program version
-vv display the program version, build, and license
-wsdir WSPREPOS specify the directory where workspaces are saved, when specified
explicitly then it will override the repos name passed in the
environment variable ASPL_CLI_CONFIG
-wsname NAMEDSPACE specify the namedspace or workspace name to be loaded, when
specified then it will override the namedspace passed in
the environment variable ASPL_CLI_CONFIG, this is the
namedspace that ASPL interpreter will load at startup
-groupingclass ELMGC explicitly specify the element grouping class of the namedspace, if
not specified and namedspace already saved previously in repos
then ASPL will detect its grouping class automatically and load it
-verbose display verbose information at startup
-bridgeless start ASPL without the egC-Container, hence mocking El.G.C.
-dbgsess print debugging info from the session manager
-STDIN pipe to the STDIN of ASPL, must be the last option on the command line
-showonly print what is set in ASPL startup arguments and exit
-verb VERB pass a verb to run by ASPL then exit, where VERB can be one of:
wls wlls wrm envvar arcvars vars description scratchpad hs hsall
-asplconf FILENAME pass in the aspl.conf configuration properties file to load
-ddmconf FILENAME pass in the ddm.conf through the command line
-timeout NUMBEROFSEC set a timeout in seconds when executing set operations, default to 17
-script SCRIPTNAME execute the file ASPL script named SCRIPTNAME
-SCT trace the execution of the script while executing it
-singlepass single pass when parsing the srcipt, default is two passes
-nostrictld allow to load workspaces within a script
-globalvar ASPL variables are all global variables
-persistvar persist ASPL variables commiting them to the symbol table
-syncwks sync the loaded workspace persisting any change in it.
The sync is done following every command issued during runtime.
This is useful to allow global variables updated when multiple users are
sharing the same namedspace. This option is also settable in the envrionment
variable ASPL_CLI_CONFIG.
-assignonce each variable symbol cannot be assigned more than once, yet the variables can still
be interrogated and turned into differential variables; this is useful to make
sure that a variable is not being freely reassigned and overwritten
-disablearcvar archiving variables is enabled by default. If you are not interested in making the variables
interrogatable and turning them into differential variables then select this option.
This is also settable with ARC_VARIABLES=1 in aspl.conf.
Setting ARC_VARIABLES=0 in aspl.conf can be overriden with this option.
-tattler show the tattler as group objects are inserted in, read from, and/or deleted from the stacks
and the symbol tables
-noansi disable ANSI colors, in case you are using the interpreter on terminal
-nocheck load a saved workspace without checking consistency against its ELMD
-noreloadGG load the GGs functions container only at startup and disable it from being reloaded during run time;
when disabled, any changes in the GG-functions will not be detected and loaded; also this can be
disabled from within: reloadGG 0
By default reloading GGs is enabled, and the GG-Container can be easily triggered by touching
the file representing a GG-function, then by issuing the listing command from within ASPL: ggls
-logfile LOGFILE attach a log file, eg. -logfile aspl_datetime.log will write log in ~tmp directory; also see
option -jL
-dm DISPLAYMODE display mode of ASPL symbol tables and answer stacks.
It can be one of 1,2,3,4,5 or one of 1A,2A,3A,4A,5A. Default is 2.
-dv 32BITS 32 bits vector for tracing execution
-gB 8BITS 8 bits vector for tracing branching on predicate
-kH enable AUTO Kvec for hooked attributes with every Zsum, post gg-processing, INTERNAL USE ONLY
-kC enable AUTO Kvec for lamdba code attributes with every Zsum, post gg-processing, INTERNAL USE ONLY
-jH verbose for hooked attributes that are tied asynchronous, at startup only but reloadable
-jC verbose for lamdba code attributes and tied asynchronous attributes, at startup only but reloadable
-jE GR reloading verbose
-jV Element Grouping Class VERBUM for Enode initialization normalization formatting preprocessing visor, etc.
This option will cause reloading EG_VERBUM; INTERNAL USE ONLY
-jF passed to GG-functions to allow verbose or whatever the programmer want to do with this flag
-jL print long logger line, if -logfile is specified then logging is written to the logfile otherwise
printed to STDOUT
-jG verbose when reloading the GGs. To enable GGs reload from within: reloadGG 1
-jZ extra debug gee!
Quick startup for ASPL users:
# aspl start ASPL with default namedspace set in ASPL_CLI_CONFIG
# aspl -verbose start ASPL with default namedspace and print basic information
# aspl TRIVIAL start ASPL with the named workspace TRIVIAL
# aspl TRIVIAL -verbose start ASPL with the named workspace TRIVIAL and print basic information
# aspl TRIVIAL -verbose -bridgeless start ASPL with the named workspace TRIVIAL in bridgeless mode
Environment Variables:
The ASPL installer should have already configured your ASPL environment variables.
See the manual on setting the environment variables:
ASPL1_00_HOME required and set to the directory where ASPL program is installed
ASPL1_00_BRIDGE required and set to the directory where ASPL will locate its bridged grouping class code
ASPL1_00_PROMPT customize and define the appearance of the ASPL prompt
ASPL1_00_TMP temporary directory used by the ASPL interpreter
ASPL_CLI_CONFIG settable in the client bash, view how ASPL view it with the command 'envvar'
# aspl -verb envvar
ASPL_DDM_CONFIG optional, if not specified then default loading /opt/ASPLv1.00/etc/ddm.conf
ASPL_SRV_CONFIG optional, if not specified then default loading /opt/ASPLv1.00/etc/aspl.conf
ASPL_EDITOR the program editor to be used in ASPL, eg. ASPL_EDITOR=vim to use the vi editor
envvar
type envvar at the ASPL prompt to view the setting of your ASPL environment variables,
along a wealth of tilde-expansions short commands.
tilde
type tilde at the ASPL prompt to view tilde-expansion shortcuts, or at the shell prompt
# asplcmd tilde
Program editor:
you can define your favorite UNIX program editor by setting it to ASPL_EDITOR
# export ASPL_EDITOR=vim
# export ASPL_EDITOR=emacs
or export ASPL_EDITOR in your bash profile
Other useful commands for ASPL programmers:
show the processing of startup arguments
ASPL_DBG_ENTRY=1 aspl
show the processing of startup arguments and shebang, then exit
ASPL_DBG_ENTRY=3 aspl -wsname TRIVIAL -verbose
show the loaded ASPL configuration files
ASPL_DBG_ENTRY=4 aspl -showonly
test ASPL scripting:
# hello.aspl
# cd `asplcmd ~shared`
# cat hello.aspl | aspl -SCT -STDIN
# cat hello.aspl | ASPL_DBG_ENTRY=1 aspl -SCT -STDIN
test ASPL script passing arguments
# echo123.aspl one two three
Loadable configuation files:
-asplconf FILENAME configuration properties file to load. If not specified then load it either
from env. ASPL_SRV_CONFIG or from default /opt/ASPLv1.00/etc/aspl.conf
-ddmconf FILENAME group DDM properties file to load. If not specified then load it either
from env. ASPL_DDM_CONFIG or from default /opt/ASPLv1.00/etc/ddm.conf
Stack sizes and history with the option -keeps:
-keeps N1,N2,N3,N4 -Keeps is followed by four comma delimited integers defining the size
of the answer and history stacks; it only works with a new namedspace
since once a workspace is created, it is not possible to change
these sizes. There are three answer stacks, and one command history
stack; eg. -keeps 10,10,10,300 means to have each of the three answer
stacks 10 slots deep, and the history stack 300 slots deep. New
incoming elements will be rotated once the stack reaches its maximum.
The ASPL_CLI_CONFIG also contains the stack history sizes, but if you
wish to start a new namedspace to use deeper stack sizes, then use -keeps.
Example using -keeps:
start ASPL with a new namedspace JUNKTEST
# aspl JUNKTEST -keeps 11,13,15,500
reveal the stack sizes by seeing how ASPL see the ASPL_CLI_CONFIG
aspl> envvar
once JUNKTEST is saved, loaded once again, and it will always use 11,13,15,500 as sizes.
The -keeps option will not change any of the sizes for an already saved namedspace.
Useful ASPL commands to manage workspace:
display the workspace repository currently loaded by ASPL
# asplcmd ~wsp
list the workspace names in the repository
# asplcmd wls
delete the namedspace JUNK12345 from repository
# asplcmd "wrm JUNK12345"
say you want to load the namedspace NYENV from repos /tmp/WRK_NY2025
# aspl -wsdir /tmp/WRK_NY2025 -wsname NYENV
or to make sure it is loading from /tmp/WRK_NY2025, use the option -showonly to print verbose and exit
# aspl -wsdir /tmp/WRK_NY2025 -wsname NYENV -showonly
Editing configuration, colors, processors, and email files:
edit the colors file
# asplcmd ~colorsfile
edit the DDM configuration file
# asplcmd ~ddmfile
edit the processors for shallowed regex
# asplcmd ~shallowed
edit the ASPL configuration file
# asplcmd ~asplconf
edit the emails file
# asplcmd ~emailsfile
The ASPL interpreter is started with the aspl command that can be followed by options that are summarized in the synopsis shown above. Typing the command aspl on the UNIX shell prompt, without any option, will start the interpreter with its default options, and ASPL will default to the predefined configuration data that is already preset in its environment variables. These environment variables can be added to the user UNIX profile, or being set per user in the user shell profile. For instance, if you are using the BASH shell, then you can edit the .bashrc profile found in your home directory and add them.
Starting ASPL on the UNIX shell prompt is shown in the following figure.
1. 02:04 root@vienna: ~ # aspl WS1 -verbose 2. 3. ASPL # 1.00 4. 5. ASPL PROGRAM INSTALLED IN /opt/ASPLv1.00 6. ASPL WORKSPACE WILL IGNORE SESSIONS MANAGEMENT 7. ASPL WORKSPACE VARIABLES HAVE QUOTIENT-VARIABLES ENABLED 8. 9. 10. ASPL CLI # 1.00 11. 12. PROGRAM DIRECTORY: /opt/ASPLv1.00 13. GROUPING CLASS NAME: POSIX 14. WORKSPACE REPOSITORY: /root/.aspl/WSP/WORKSPACES1 15. WORKSPACE NAME: WS1 16. LAST SAVED: 2023-02-21 02:37:07.655478 17. ELEMENT GROUPINGS CLASS: /opt/ASPLv1.00/BRIDGE/ASPL/Groupings 18. LOADABLE GGs DIRECTORY: /opt/ASPLv1.00/lib/ASPL/GGs 19. DDM CONFIGURATION: /opt/ASPLv1.00/etc/ddm.conf 20. DDM POOL: /root/.aspl/dev/DDM_DATA 21. MEMORY USED: 344408K 22. 23. DISPLAY MODE: 2 24. LOGGING TO STDOUT 25. PERSIST VARIABLES IS OFF 26. RUN ASPL SCRIPT IN TWO PASSES 27. VARIABLES FREELY ASSIGNED 28. 29. 30. ______ ____ ______ __ 31. / __ / / ___\ / __ / / / 32. / /_/ / \ \ / ____/ / / 33. / __ / __ \ / / / / 34. / / / / / __ / / / / /____ 35. /_/ /_/ \___/ /_/ /______/ 36. 37. 38. STARTING ASPL SESSION WITH WORKSPACE: WS1 39. NAMED GROUP: POSIX 40. last saved 2023-02-21 02:37:07.667119 41. 42. aspl:1 2:4:28> 43.
The startup of ASPL is explained in the following figure where the informational output has been labeled.
ASPL locates the WS1 workspace in the workspace repository /root/.aspl/WSP/WORKSPACES1. WS1 metadata has the POSIX as the grouping class of WS1, therefore ASPL will load POSIX class as the container of WS1. ASPL bridge is located in /opt/ASPLv1.00/BRIDGE/Groupings and this is where ASPL will load the grouping class container. The grouping functions GGs are located in /opt/ASPLv1.00/lib/ASPL/GGs. ASPL has two containers: a grouping class container, and a grouping functions container. Both containers are dynamic containers that is they are auto loadable by ASPL and the user is offered options to control these two containers.
